As one Venezuelan migrant in Miami put it, holding a candle at a “Contigo María” gathering in 2024: “When we chant this, we are not just talking to the Virgin. We are chanting to each other. We are saying: ‘You are not alone in this foreign land. Contigo… contigo… contigo.’”
“María… María… María… María…” contigo maría
“ Contigo María ,” they cried. “With you , Mary.” As one Venezuelan migrant in Miami put it,